Tigers manager Jim Leyland said yesterday that Justin Verlander is not an option out of the bullpen for tonight’s do-or-die ALDS Game 5 against the Yankees.

“No,” Leyland said when asked if his ace is available.

Verlander technically started two ALDS games already, though he pitched just one inning in last Friday’s Game 1 before it was suspended by rain. The Cy Young favorite threw 25 pitches that night, then started Game 3 on Monday on two days’ rest and threw 120 pitches in eight innings in the Tigers’ 5-4 Game 3 victory.

That is a substantial workload, and Verlander would be working on just two days’ rest again if he pitched tonight. The 28-year-old right-hander — who has three years remaining on a five-year $80 million contract — has never pitched on anything shorter than four days’ rest in his career, other than in Game 3. He also has never pitched in relief either in the regular season or playoffs. The Yankees, however, anticipate CC Sabathia to be available tonight on two days’ rest.

Nevertheless, it also is possible Leyland could be bluffing to lull the Yankees into incorrectly believing Verlander isn’t an option.

Keep in mind Leyland said before Game 2 that there was a chance Verlander’s would be available in Game 5.

“I guess that’s a possibility,” he said. “I probably would rather not do that. But Game 5, you’d probably do just about anything. But not at the expense of hurting any pitcher, let alone one like that.”

The Yankees said they have to be prepared for anything in Game 5 — even a Verlander appearance.

“I don’t know. We’ll figure it out whenever Game 5 starts,” Russell Martin said. “I feel like whoever you put out there, we can beat.”

The Yankees have had a history of an opponent’s ace coming out of the bullpen on short rest to end their season in a do-or-die playoff game.

In the 2001 World Series, Arizona’s Randy Johnson threw 104 pitches in Game 6, then logged 1 1/3 innings and 17 pitches the next night in Game 7. In the 2004 ALCS, Boston’s Pedro Martinez threw 111 pitches in Game 5, then came in for 20 pitches during an inning of relief in Game 7 two nights later.